


A Queen's Ransom

by Fandom_Stuff



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Quote: You Have Failed This City (Arrow), Season 1 Oliver Queen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-01-06 13:42:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18389570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fandom_Stuff/pseuds/Fandom_Stuff
Summary: A bullet whizzed passed Oliver's ear just as his arrow hit home in the chest of his attacker, Grayson Phillips.Oliver Queen has just returned from five years in hell. With John Diggle and Felicity Smoak by his side  Oliver is crossing names off his father's list. But Oliver is forced to take a break from the work his father left him when someone Oliver cares about is kidnapped.





	1. Chapter 1

A bullet whizzed passed Oliver’s ear just as his arrow hit home in the chest of his attacker, Grayson Phillips. “You have failed this city.” Oliver said as he lowered his bow.  Phillips was a conman that no one had ever been able to convict. Oliver gave him his chance, told him to return all the money he’d taken from his cons or he’d do it for him, but Phillips had refused, sealing his fate. 

Swiftly, Oliver walked to the body and pulled Phillips’s phone from his coat pocket before turning and sending an arrow into the air, pulling him along with it. 

“Did you get it?” Dig  asked when Oliver walked back into the basement of Verdant. 

He placed the phone in front of Felicity, “I need you to hack into this and figure out where he’s keeping all the money he’s embezzled.” 

Felicity was already attaching the phone to her computer, her fingers flying across the keyboard, “looks like he recently made a deposit to the bank just outside the glades.” 

“The glades?” Dig echoed, “Why would he keep his money near the glades?” 

“Because it’s the last place anyone would look,” Oliver replied. “I’ll go check it out, see what I can find.” 

“I’m coming too,” Dig said. 

Oliver picked up his bow and turned to Dig, “I’ve got it covered.” 

Dig was already placing his gun behind his back in his holster, “I’m coming Oliver, there’s no way I’m letting you go to the glades alone.” 

Oliver sighed, “Fine, but we’re doing it my way.” 

“We always do,” Felicity was the only one that heard Dig’s remark as he headed out after Oliver. 

Because Dig had decided to come they took the black van Oliver kept stashed behind his nightclub. Dig drove and Oliver sat shotgun, his bow clutched in his hand, ready to be used at a moments notice if needed. They reached the bank outside the glades and Oliver quickly slid from the van, drawing an arrow from his quiver as he did so. Dig was right behind him, gun held out defensively in front of him, as Oliver approached the back door of the bank. 

“You’ve got three heat signatures behind that door,” Felicity’s voice came over the communication line and Oliver nodded at Dig to move out of the way. 

He sent his arrow flying at the door, which broke open with a burst of smoke. Oliver and Diggle headed into the bank, weapons raised. Just as Felicity had said, three people charged at them, bullets glanced off the walls as Oliver and Diggle met their attackers with force. Oliver let an arrow embed itself in one of the men’s legs and as he fell to the ground Oliver spun to meet the second man. Pairing his blows with his bow, Oliver brought his knee up to the man’s stomach. He grunted into the blow and Oliver used his free hand to grab the man’s arm and twist it behind his back, shoving him forward, Oliver drew an arrow and sent it into the man’s back. Diggle had dealt with the other guard and they stepped over the bodies and cautiously made their way down the hall. 

“Felicity,” Oliver said over the coms. 

“You’re clear for now,” Felicity replied. 

Oliver and Diggle continued down the hallway, checking each corner for guards, nothing and no one got in their way. “What vault are we looking for?” Dig asked 

“312” Felicity answered. 

“Got it!” Oliver called as he drew an arrow and blasted the door to vault 312 open. 

Inside the vault there were mountains of cash and Oliver and Dig began to gather it up and move throughout the bank, delivering thousands of dollars to the vaults of everyone Phillips had stolen from. 

Just as the sound of police sirens were reaching Oliver’s ears they pulled away from the bank and sped back towards the arrow cave. Felicity greeted them with a smile, “nice work.” 

“Well we couldn’t have done it without you,” Oliver replied. 

“You should go home Oliver, your family will be wondering where you are,” Dig said. 

Oliver shrugged as he put his bow down, “they know I’m at the club, besides, I always come home late.” 

Oliver left anyway, bidding Felicity and Dig goodbye. When Oliver stepped through the front doors he was instantly greeted by his mother, “Oliver I’ve been calling you!” She exclaimed. 

“You have?” Oliver took out his phone from his pocket and glanced at it, twenty missed calls shown on the screen, “Sorry, the club is loud.” It was then that Oliver saw the tears in his mother’s eyes, “What’s wrong?”  

“It’s Tommy. Oliver, he’s missing.” 


	2. Chapter 2

“What do you mean, missing?” Oliver asked.

“Malcolm called an hour ago to say he hadn’t returned home, he’s not still at the club, is he?” 

“No, no one was there when I left.” Oliver replied. 

“Did he come to work today?” 

“Yes, the last time I saw him was around ten when he said he was going home.” Worry was beginning to worm its way into Oliver’s thoughts, what could have happened to his best friend? 

At that moment the phone Oliver’s mother still clutched in her hand began to ring, it was Quentin Lance. “Hello,” Moira answered. 

“Mrs. Queen,” Quentin’s voice came over the phone, “we have a witness that says she saw Tommy Merlyn being snatched by men and shoved in a black van.” 

Oliver watched his mother move away from the door to stand in the living room, the phone pressed to her ear. Oliver quickly pulled his own phone from his pocket and dialed Felicity’s number. “Oliver,” Felicity's surprised voice answered. 

“Felicity, it’s Tommy,” Oliver said in a low voice, “someone’s taken him, Quentin Lance said a witness saw him being surrounded by men in a black van, I need you to search through security cameras and see if there’s anything matching that description.” 

Oliver heard a keyboard clicking in the background as Felicity started to search, “it could take a while Oliver. I know Tommy’s your friend, but why don’t you just leave this one to the police.” 

“I can’t Felicity, this has to do with me I can feel it.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“In all the years that I was away Tommy could have been kidnapped, but whoever took him chose now. It’s only been a few weeks since I returned from the island.” 

“That doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re targeting you.” 

Oliver’s phone suddenly buzzed with in incoming call, UNKNOWN flashed across his screen and he felt his blood grow cold, “Felicity, there’s an unknown number calling me, trace the call.”  Oliver hung up and answered the call. 

“You have five seconds before I disconnect this line,” Oliver snapped. 

It was the voice of a woman that said, “Now, now, don’t be so rash, Oliver. I have your little friend.” 

“If you hurt him I swear-

“You’ll what? Flirt me to death? If you want Thomas Merlyn to survive the night you’ll wire all of your money to the account I’m sending you now.” Oliver’s phone beeped from a message but he ignored it. 

“I’m not going to play your game,” Oliver growled. 

“Then Tommy Merlyn will die.” With that the call cut out and Oliver was left standing stiffly by the stairs. 

Quickly he called Felicity back, “Did you get it?” 

“Barely, it was hard to track, but I have a general area that it was coming from.” 

“Well?” Oliver pressed. 

“Oliver,” Felicity’s voice dropped. 

“Where was the call coming from!?” Oliver hissed. 

“Like I said, I traced it to the general area,” 

Oliver cut Felicity off again, “Where is it?” 

Felicity was silent on the other end of the line for a moment before she said, “Queen Consolidated.” 


	3. Chapter 3

Oliver’s shut his eyes with a sigh, “it’s an inside job then.”

“Looks like it,” Felicity replied. 

“Hundreds of people work at Queen Consolidated, it could be anyone.” 

“Do you know anyone that might have a grudge against you?” Felicity asked. Oliver grunted on his side of the phone and he could almost see Felicity grimacing. “Sorry, stupid question. Everyone’s mad at you because you don’t want to take the job.” 

“I don’t think this is because of that,” Oliver said, “kidnapping Tommy isn’t the way to make me take a job.” 

“Are you thinking that someone knows what you really do with your time at night?” Felicity asked, her voice was tinted with worry. 

“I don’t know.” 

“Well, I’ll keep searching for answers and I’ll call you if I find anything useful.” 

“Try pinging Tommy’s cell phone too.” Oliver suggested. 

“Already on it,” Felicity replied. 

The line went dead and Oliver started to head for the front door; the Hood wasn’t done for the night. His hand was on the door when his mother’s voice reached him, “where are you going?” 

“I just need some air,” Oliver replied. 

Moira nodded in understanding, “the police will get Tommy back, don’t worry.” 

Oliver flashed his mother a sad smile, “I know.” 

“Watch out for yourself, call Mr. Diggle and have him go with you!” 

Oliver was already pressing the call button on John’s number, “I will.” 

“Oliver?” Dig’s voice came over the line, he sounded half asleep. 

“Sorry to bother you Dig, but Tommy’s missing, I need all hands on deck to try and find him.” 

Dig’s voice immediately perked up, “Tommy?” 

“Yes, someone’s kidnapped Tommy and they want me to pay a ransom.” 

“Why you? Why not his father?” Diggle asked. 

“Felicity and I are under the impression that they’re not after me.” 

“You think someone knows you’re the Hood?” 

“I don’t know what to think John, but that’s the only thing that seems reasonable to me,” Oliver replied. 

“I’ll meet you in the club,” Diggle said. 

Oliver ended the call and made his way to Verdant. Felicity was clicking away at her keyboard when Oliver arrived. “Find anything?” 

“Not much. Tommy’s phone signal is coming from his apartment and I can’t seem to find anything to even suggest he’s missing. Apart from the eyewitness that said Tommy was taken, but eyewitness testimony is often unreliable, are we sure Tommy isn’t just at home?”

Oliver was dialing Tommy’s number before Felicity even finished her sentence. “Hey, you’ve reached Tommy Merlyn-” Oliver hung up. 

“No answer.” 

“I can try finding security camera images but if I were a kidnapper, not that I am of course, but if I was then I’d choose to abduct someone far away from any source of medi.” Felicity said. 

Oliver suddenly had a thought, “Felicity, this person knows who I am, which means, I should know who they are. This is someone I’ve fought before, someone with skills that are a match for mine considering they’re still alive. They can make people disappear without a trace-”

“Are you thinking about the Triad?” Felicity interrupted, “Because, Oliver, they don’t know who you are and they don’t work at Queen Consolidated.” 

“It’s the only thing that makes sense. Maybe they only made the call from Queen Consolidated but they don’t work there.” 

Felicity shook her head, “no, I don’t think it’s the triad. I think it’s someone else, someone you’ve been dealing with for a little while now.” 

Realization made Oliver nearly stumble backwards, you think it’s the Dark Archer.”  


	4. Chapter 4

“I don’t know what I think,” Felicity said, “but after what you told me about the fight you had with him he could know who you really are, he could know how to get to you.” 

Oliver shook his head, hardly daring to believe she could be right, “I don’t know Felicity.” 

There was the sound of a door opening as John came into the room, “hey, what’d I miss?” 

“Nothing,” Oliver replied. “We’re still at square one.” 

“I wouldn’t say that,” Felicity said. “I have a few theories.”  

“Care to share them?” Diggle asked. 

“She thinks it’s the Dark Archer,” Oliver beat Felicity to the punch and Felicity just sighed and crossed her arms. 

“I don’t know okay, It’s just a thought.” 

“What do you think Oliver?” Dig asked. 

“Well, my first thought was the Triad, but Felicity doesn’t think that’s reasonable,” Oliver replied. 

Diggle frowned in thought, “It could be the Triad, but it could also be the Dark Archer.” 

“It just doesn’t make sense to me why Tommy’s phone would still be at his apartment, he had it here tonight, I’m sure of it,” Oliver said. “But, the witnesses said that he was taken before he got home.” 

“Eyewitness testimony can be faulty Oliver,” Diggle said. 

“I know, and it could just have been a false testimony to try and throw the police off their trail,” Oliver replied. 

“What are you thinking of doing?” Felicity asked. 

“I guess I better go to Tommy’s and see what I can find,” Oliver replied. 

“Let’s go then,” Diggle said. 

Oliver and Dig got back into the black van and made their way to Tommy’s apartment. When they reached Tommy’s apartment room Oliver put his hand on the door, testing for any shifts in temperature or traps that might have been set. Finding nothing, Oliver kicked in the door. 

They searched the apartment, there were no signs of struggle or of a break in, but Oliver found Tommy’s phone sitting on his bedside table, with lots of missed calls from his father and Oliver. However, there was one message on the screen that read: To Oliver Queen. 

Oliver punched in Tommy’s password and clicked on the message. There was an audio file attached and Oliver pressed play: 

“Oliver,” Tommy’s voice rang out from the phone’s speakers. “Oliver they want me to tell you to wire the money, but you don’t have to, you don’t have to Oliver, it’s okay.” There was crackling on the other end of the phone and Tommy suddenly screamed in pain. 

The female voice that Oliver recognized from his previous call said, “tell him what we’ll do to you if he doesn’t.” 

Tommy was silent for a moment, “you’ll kill me.” Tommy tried to speak again but it was muffled by something being put in his mouth. 

“If you won’t wire the money to us Oliver, your friend will die, there is no doubt about that. Give us the money and we let him go, that’s the deal, try anything funny, show anyone this recording, and we will kill him.” 

The recording cut out and Oliver sighed, “the only thing I got from that was the sound of a train in the background, but that could be anywhere.” 

“Come on, we’ll have Felicity run it and see what she can pick up.” 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go! I finally posted a new chapter! Hope you enjoy it!

“He’s definitely underground somewhere,” Felicity said.

“Can you pinpoint an exact location?” Oliver asked.

“I’m trying.”

Felicity’s hands were flying over the keyboard and Oliver watched her hack into three different security cameras from three different train stations. “I think I might have found them.”

“Which station?”

“The one off East and third,” Felicity replied.

“I’m on it.”

As Oliver’s bow found its way into his hand his phone buzzed in his pocket. Oliver pulled it out to see the name Malcolm Merlyn flashing across the screen. “Mr. Merlyn,” Oliver answered.

“Oliver, I just got back from a business trip and I heard that Tommy’s missing,”

“Yes, the police are working on it,” Oliver replied.

“You don’t have any idea where he could be then, do you?”

“No,” Oliver replied. “Look, Mr. Merlyn now’s a bit of a bad time, I’ve got to go.”

Before Tommy’s father could protest Oliver had hung up and was motioning for Diggle to follow him.

They made easy time to the station at East and third and Oliver was soon slipping in the back door of the station. They checked each room and bathroom and train car they could find but Tommy was nowhere to be found. “He’s not here Felicity,” Oliver said over the coms.

“What?”

“He’s not here! We’ve checked the whole place!”

“Hold on.” The sound of the keyboard was heard over the coms and then Felicity was back on the line, “there’s another station underneath the one you’re at. It’s old and abandoned but it’s still there.”

“Copy that.”

Oliver and Dig found a hatch that led down to another tunnel and soon they were down and traversing along the old tracks. There was something ahead of them, it looked like an old train car and there was a figure moving around inside of it. Oliver motioned for Dig to take one side while he took the other and together they made their move.

Oliver burst through the door on his side of the car, sending the figure crashing to the ground. The first thing Oliver noticed was Tommy, strapped to a chair and gagged at the far end of the train car. He was still alive so Oliver knew Tommy could wait, his sole focus right now was the woman in front of him.

She was wearing a painstakingly familiar suit and Oliver felt and arrow notch into his string as she struggled to sit up.

“Don’t move,” Oliver growled.

She smiled, her purple lips curling at the corner, “Oliver, so good to see you again. Do you have my money?”

“I’m not giving anything to you,” Oliver replied.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Dig enter the train car and work his way towards Tommy. Oliver kept his sights on the woman before him.

“What do you want it for anyway?”

“A girl’s gotta make a living somehow.”

“Don’t play games with me! Are you working for someone!?”

She started to make a move towards her crossbow that was lying a foot away from her, but Oliver didn’t hesitate, he sent his arrow flying straight towards Helena Bertinelli.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter, enjoy!

Helena grunted in pain as the arrow pierced her shoulder. “I said, don’t move!” 

Helena glared at Oliver, blood seeping through her fingers, “just kill me.” 

Oliver notched another arrow to his string but he didn’t take aim, “I’ll ask you again, are you working for someone!?” 

Helena grinned, “why would I tell you?”

Oliver took a step closer to Helena and without taking her eyes from her he said, “Dig, take Tommy and go.” 

“What about you?” 

“I’ll be fine, just get Tommy out of here.” 

“Oliver-” 

“GO!” 

“You’re in over your head, Oliver,” Helena crooned. 

Oliver crouched down to keel by Helena, “and why is that?” 

“You have no idea what you walked into here.” 

Over the sound of the retreating footsteps of Diggle and Tommy, Oliver heard the whistle of an arrow as it flew through the air. Oliver spun just in time and shot the arrow out of the sky, he quickly reloaded and took aim into the shadows. Helena’s laughter filled the train car as Oliver’s eyes scanned the shadows outside of the car. 

Another arrow flew towards him and Oliver rolled out of the way, allowing the arrow to embed itself in the wall above Helena’s head. 

More shots were fired and Oliver tossed in a few arrows of his own into the emptiness outside the car, but he couldn’t see anyone, so he couldn’t aim accurately. 

“Oliver? Are you still there?” Dig’s voice came over Oliver’s comms. 

“Yeah, I’m here, did you get Tommy out?” 

“Yes.” 

“Wait for me, I’ll be there shortly.” 

Another arrow flashed past Oliver’s ear.

“What was that? Oliver, are you under attack?”

Oliver took a moment to respond as he shot yet another arrow from the air, “I’m fine, I’ve just run into a little problem.”

“I’m coming to help.”

“No, Dig stay with Tommy, I’ll be fine. I’ll get to you as soon as I can.”

“Oliver,” Felicity’s voice was now in on the call, “I’ve located a heat signature near your position.” 

“Great, where exactly?” Oliver hissed back as another arrow narrowly missed his head. 

“In the rafters,” Felicity replied.

Oliver drew another arrow from his quiver, “ _ where  _ in the rafters!?” 

“Six o’clock,” Felicity answered. 

Helena’s maniacal laughter filled the train car, “he’s here.”

“Who is!?” Oliver growled as he risked a glance at Helena. She was still kneeling on the ground, the arrow in her shoulder, and blood dripping from the wound.

Helena didn’t say anything, she just looked down at the ground, a grin on her face. Oliver’s gaze followed Helena’s, and came to a rest on the arrows that he’d shot, they were jet black, and Oliver only knew of one person that used black arrows. The Dark Archer. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver brings Helena back to Verdant to question her. Oliver confronts the Dark Archer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, this is it, the last chapter! I know you've all been waiting for this for a while and I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get it up, I've been away, but it's here now, so please, read and enjoy. :)

Felicity had been right, The Dark Archer was a part of this after all. Oliver shot off another arrow in the direction he hoped the Archer might be and then quickly moved over to Helena and dragged her to her feet. Helena grunted in pain as Oliver started to back away towards the door. 

Oliver made it to the train car door and out onto the tracks, Helena still held in front of him like a human shield. Oliver found his way back to the street and found Diggle waiting for him with Tommy in the backseat of the black van. 

“Took you long enough, I thought I was going to have to go in there after you.”

“Felicity was right,” Oliver said as he tied Helena’s hands behind her back with a bit of rope they had in the van. 

“About what?” Dig asked. 

“The Dark Archer  _ is  _ part of this,” Oliver replied as he shoved Helena into the van and then slipped into the passenger's seat. 

“Are you sure?” Dig asked as he sped away back towards Verdant.

“Of course I’m sure, I was being fired at by  _ black  _ arrows,” Oliver spat. 

“He’s not going to stop,” Helena said from the backseat, “until you’re dead.” 

“Yeah? Well you’re going to give us as much information as you can about him,” Oliver replied. 

“I’d like to see you try,” Helena mocked. 

“Oh I’ll try, and I’ll get answers out of you one way or another,” Oliver growled. 

“Oliver?” Tommy’s voice made Oliver switch his gaze to his best friend who was sitting up in the backseat. 

“Hey,” Oliver replied, a smile forming on his face, “you feeling okay?” 

“I’ve been better,” Tommy said. 

“Well, you’re alive, that’s all I care about,” Oliver replied. 

 

When they reached Verdant Oliver pulled Helena from the backseat and Diggle took care of Tommy. Oliver dragged Helena into the basement of Verdant to find Felicity pacing anxiously. “You’re okay!” she exclaimed when Oliver entered the room. 

“Yeah and so is Tommy,” Oliver replied. 

“What are you going to do with her?” Felicity asked warily as her eyes moved up and down Helena’s body. 

“What I have to to get answers,” Oliver replied gruffly. “Go and help Dig take care of Tommy, I’ve got it from here.” 

Felicity nodded slowly and headed up the stairs to the club. Oliver tied Helena down and then turned to her.  “I won’t talk,” Helena said.

“I just want to know who he is,  why he’s doing this, and what he wants with me,” Oliver growled. “Three questions, three answers, and then you’re free to go.” 

“Since you can’t understand what I’m saying to you I’ll spell it out. I. Am. Not. Go-Ing. To. Talk.” 

Oliver didn’t hesitate, he punched Helena in the face, causing her chair to nearly fall over. She spit blood on the floor and turned her head back to look at Oliver, a bruise already starting to form on her cheek. “Just tell me what I want to know and this can be over,” Oliver said. 

“Never.” 

Oliver was about to strike Helena again when suddenly the lights cut out and they were plunged in darkness. Oliver heard the whistle of an arrow through the air and he ducked just in time as the arrow flew over him and embedded itself in the chair Felicity usually sat in. 

Oliver’s hand was reaching for his bow when the lights returned to show that Helena was gone and Oliver was alone. “Damnit,” Oliver cursed. 

The sound of footsteps thundering down the stairs made Oliver again reach for his bow, but it was only Diggle and Felicity. “What happened!?” Dig asked. 

“He found us, I don’t know how, but he found us,” Oliver replied. “He took Helena.” 

“We’ll find him again, Oliver,” Felicity said. 

Oliver nodded in agreement, “and when we do, he’s dead.” 

****

*Set right before Merlyn's “death” in Sacrifice*

 

Oliver was standing over Malcolm Merlyn, as the blood stain over his heart grew. “How could you do it!?” Oliver spat. 

“I’ve done a lot of things Oliver, you’ll have to be more specific,” Merlyn gasped.

“How could you kidnap your own son?” Oliver growled. 

“I needed to test a theory,” Merlyn replied in a grunt. “And it turned out I was right, seeing as you are the Hood after all.” 

“You did all that just to see if I was the vigilante?” Oliver asked in surprise. “How could you put Tommy through that?”

“Tommy was never in any real danger,” Merlyn coughed. 

“First you kidnap your son, then you try to level the glades, do you even have a heart?” Oliver hissed. 

Merlyn’s eyes were starting to cloud over as he struggled for breath. “I used to.” 

Oliver’s comms beeped and Felicity’s voice filled his ears. “Oliver, Lance did it.” 

Oliver let out a sigh of relief and glanced back at Malcolm. “It’s over.”

Merlyn’s dark eyes met Oliver’s. “If I’ve learned anything as a successful business man, it’s… redundancy.” With one last cough Malcolm Merlyn collapsed and fear shot through Oliver at his words as realization dawned on him. 

“Felicity, There’s another device, there’s two of them.” 

****

“Tommy!” Oliver cried as his best friends eyes closed and his chest stopped rising and falling.  “It should have been me. Open your eyes Tommy, open your eyes!” Oliver sobbed. But Tommy didn’t open his eyes and Oliver felt the tears falling from his cheeks as he grieved over his best friend. It was then that Oliver vowed to himself that he would do better, be better, for Tommy and his memory.

 The man that had done this, Tommy’s father, Malcolm Merlyn, was dead, Oliver had already avenged Tommy and so he made his promise, over Tommy’s body,  that he would never kill again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you thank you thank you thank you, to everyone that has read and enjoyed this fic! I was surprised to find that there was a decent amount of people that had been finding this fic, reading it, and liking it. It's been fun to write and I hope it was as much fun to read.   
> Let me know what you thought in the comments and thanks again! :)


End file.
